


Past Lives

by IsisKitsune



Series: Settling in (Winged!Clint) [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Barney's a good man, Gen, Past Child Abuse, Slavery, Winged!Clint, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-15
Updated: 2013-12-15
Packaged: 2018-01-04 18:38:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1084363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsisKitsune/pseuds/IsisKitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all have past lives, some people’s are just harder to find than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past Lives

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to do something where Tony was poking around Clint’s past trying to figure how he’d missed WINGS! It ended up being Tony being curious and ended with him being nice in his own screwed up way.

 

“JARVIS, I’m bored,” Tony said as he thumbed through the Avenger’s dossiers for the thousandth time. “Hack SHIELD, find out why there’s nothing on Barton’s childhood other than ‘parents died in car crash’.”

“Sir, that seems to be the only thing they have on the matter, you’ve already requested I check up on that three times this week.”

“Oh, right… well, run a search, Clint (Clinton) any variation of that Barton. Run a facial match with Barton’s earliest picture available to get the right one,” Tony sighed at the ancient paper file he’d been able to ‘barrow’ from SHIELD before tossing it onto the table and going for another cup of coffee.

“Sir, I have found something- rather disturbing. It appears to be Agent Barton age 6.”

“Put it on the screen,” Tony said as he sipped at his espresso.

“As you wish, Sir,” Tony lowered the glass at the image of those brown eyes staring up at the camera, beaten but never broken as the dirt covered boy sat with tangled feathered wings lifted in some sort of pose. He dropped the cup when he realized the feathers weren’t just tangled from being unkempt and dirty but they were trimmed down short enough to shame any flightless bird. Shackles held his hands in his lap, ever the caged bird. “JARVIS, where is this from?!”

“It appears to be from a freak show, Sir. The name has been lost unfortunately, for they didn’t think it wise to keep records of child slavery.”

Tony’s teeth ground together as he stared at the picture, “Find out everything you can about that picture.”

“Right away, Sir.” Tony was still glaring at the image so hard, JARVIS didn’t want to possibly anger him by shutting down the projection. It didn’t seem to matter, Tony threw the nearest object, scattering the pixels. JARVIS took that as a clue to let it stay gone.

It took JARVIS three days of looking, but he’d finally found someone that could answer Tony’s questions.

“Sir, your- guest has arrived,” Tony blinked up from the tv at JARVIS’ voice.

Steve had demanded these stupid movie/game nights as team building exercises. “Oh, right! Thanks JARVIS, send them up to my suite would you?” Tony was already diving over the couch to run for the elevator, causing a few protests and Clint throwing popcorn at him for clipping him in the shoulder with his elbow. “Don’t worry, I’ve already seen it, so you don’t have to pause it!”

Tony had to let out a deep breath and count to ten, damn he’d been hanging around Bruce too long, because he desperately wanted to slug the guy. He was Clint’s BROTHER and he still stood on the sidelines while his own flesh and blood was caged like some animal!?! That didn’t even categorize as human! “Barney? Barton right,” Tony blinked, expecting a set of glittering brown eyes and brunette hair trying its damnedest to be blonde. He instead looked at green eyes and red hair trying to masquerade as brown. Even the facial structure was so far off that Tony was suddenly reminded of Thor and Loki. “So, which of you is adopted?”

Barney smirked and shook his head, “Neither. Jeremy needed a new identity and I figured it would be better if we were brothers. We looked a lot more alike back then. He, uh, didn’t get to be out in the sun much…”

“Jeremy?”

“Yeah, that was his name- back at the show,” Barney’s eyes turned sad. “Look, I’m not going to excuse what happened but we got out, okay? Neither of us were strong enough at the time, it took years to get it right. After the first try, they clipped his wings so short they bled. He was in pain for weeks after! I couldn’t risk them doing worse. I kept telling him to wait, to stop trying so hard, at least until we knew we could get out clean.”

“Slow down, start from the beginning.”

“Jeremy, Clint, he was brought in when he was tiny. His parents… they sold him, because he had those wings and they ‘just don’t want to deal with it’. Like he was a fucking rejected gift or something! They didn’t like his look so they sold him to someone that did. I was about four I think. I can remember him, his wings, everyone gathering around like they just found a goldmine. I can remember how the moment the kid started moving around on his own they had him shackled-caged, wouldn’t want their precious angel getting away would they? I still can’t understand how they could do that to a child.”

“Don’t bother; you’ll just give yourself a headache.”

“I couldn’t help but look after him, you know? After mom and dad died, I was all alone and just didn’t want him to be alone.” Barney blinked when Tony offered him a drink, but took it none the less, rather than drink it he just rolled the cool glass in his hand, “I don’t know how he managed to hide them, but once we got free of the show he didn’t have them anymore. I thought maybe someone upstairs took pity on him and took them away so no one would have a reason to look for him. I guess I was wrong if you’re looking me up asking about Clint, winged kids and freak shows…”

“Clint doesn’t need pity. He’s been through hell, he’s walked out with his wings still intact, and if the man would rather pack a bow rather than a grudge against humanity, so be it. He may have had a bad start at life but he sure has hell made a better one of it.”

Tony flinched visibly when Barney on his shoulder, suddenly reminded of Thor at the strong impact, “You remind me of him. I can see why he likes you guys. Not afraid to stand up, speak out when you need to.”

“Uh, thanks,” Tony for once didn’t know what to say. A sarcastic remark had instantly found its way to his mouth but he’d kept it shut. “Well, I think I have all the info I need. Thanks Barney.”

“No problem,” the, now warm, still full glass was set on the nearby table. “I need to be getting going before Clint finds out I was here. He gets a little…” ‘ruffled’ Tony offered while Barney chuckled and shook his head. “He doesn’t like it being talked about…”

“I could relate. Thank you again, JARVIS will show you the way out. Oh, and Barney, can you remember the last name of Jeremy’s parents?”

“Yeah, actually, I can,” Barney smirked. “Renner,” was said as he left.

“JARVIS.”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Delete all data on Jeremy Renner, within our database and without.”

“It will be my pleasure, Sir.” Tony smiled as the hated image of the young caged archer disappeared, its source along with any other data that ever existed on Hawkeye’s past life erased.

\---

Tony smiled, sipping his scotch before he snuck up on the Avengers still watching the movie. He spread his arms wide and hugged everyone he could reach from his position behind the couch. “Tony!” Clint’s wings flailed, trying to knock his arm away. “Hey, watch it!” Natasha shoved at the feathers now in her face. “You’re spilling your drink on me,” Bruce shimmied backward to get away from the cold alcohol. JARVIS had already snapped a few captures of the event as Thor and Steve chuckled. Steve tried to remain in his seat but ended up being caught under the thunder god’s arm and drug over to join the commotion on the couch.

It’s not your past lives that matter, only the here and now.


End file.
